Braking system for outboard motor carriers



Sept. 22, 1959 w. J. RUTTGER BRAKING SYSTEM FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR CARRIERSFiled 001;. 30, 1957 United-States Patent D BRAKING SYSTEM FOR OUTBOARDMOTO CARRIERS William Ruttger, Deer-wood, Minn.

Application October 30, 1957, Serial No. 693,373 -4 Claims. (Cl.280-4724) permit the user 'to apply a controlled braking action; to ithe wheels of the carrier whenever it is found necessary to do so. Inthis way, even'the largest outboard motors may be safely transporteddown relatively steep inclines without the likelihood of the person whois'handling the carrier slipping. It will be recognized that slippage,while endeavoring'to hold'back a'heavy motor,'has o'ften occurred in thepast. Also, .the invention permits the user to apply the brakes in orderto take a rest when he is pulling the motor back up a hill.

Another objectof ,theinventionis to, provide a braking system thatwillnot destroy the collapsibility of the outboard motor carrier.

A further object is to provide a braking system in which-the brakes maybe applied without removing ones hands from vthe carriers handles.

Stillfurther, an object of the invention is to provide a-brake equippedcarrier that will be competitive imprice with carriers currently foundon the market having no brakes thereon.

Other objects willbe inpart obvious and in part pointed .outmore indetail hereinafter. I

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrange ment of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of an outboard motor carrier illustratingone embodiment that my invention may assume, and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view depicting a modification ofthe invention.

Referring now in detail to Figure l, the outboard motor carrier 10exemplifying one embodiment of my invention comprises a pair of sideframe members 12 having an axle 14 extending between their lower ends.Each end of the axle 14 has rotatably mounted thereon a wheel 16.Extending between the upper ends of the frame members 12 is a crossmember 18 which may be in the form of a block of wood of substantialthickness so that the clamps of a conventional outboard motor (notshown) may be readily engaged therewith in the same manner that suchclamps engage the stern end of a boat.

A clevis 20 is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to each frame member12 near the upper end thereof. The clevises 20 have rearwardly directedarms 21 comprised of first arm sections 22 pivotally connected theretoby means of a pivot pin 24. The free ends of the arm sec- "ice tions 22are telescopically received in additional arm sections 26 constitutingthe remainder of the arms 21. Handle grips 28 are located at the distalends of said arm sections 26. The tubular arm sections 26 are retainedin engagement with the arm sections 22 by means of removable pins 30extending through said arm sections 22 into apertures formed in the endsof the arm sections 22, there, being a short chain 32 extending betweeneach pin 30 and a fixed pin 34 to prevent pin loss.

The, arm sections 26 are provided with inwardly directed lateral ears orlugs 36 to which are pivotally attached lever elements 38 through themedium of pins 40. Through the agency of a common pin 42 the oppositeends of the lever elements 38 are ,pivotally connected to each other andto a tongue 44.

The tongue 44 is apertured for the accommodation of the upper looped endof a cable 48. A transverse rod 50 has its ends secured to the framemembers 12. At the center of the rod 50 is rotatably mounted a sheave orpulley 52 over which the cable 48 is entrained. The axle 14 in additionto serving as a support for the wheels 16 also functions as .a supportfor a second sheave or pulley .54, the cable 48 .furtherpassing aboutthis last element.

The lower looped end of the cable 48vis engaged with an apertu red ,earor lug 56 afiixed to a transverse rod 58 swinginglysuspended by reasonof a pair of rocker arms 60. The upper ends of said rocker arms 60 arepivotally fastened to vthe side frame members 12 via pins"62.""-The arms.60 are formed with medially located apertures 64 having receivedtherein the lower hooked ends of coil springs 66. The upper hooked endsof said springs 66 engage apertures 68 disposed in inclined braces 70having attachment at their lower ends to the frame members 12 by pins 72and at theirnpper ends to the arm sections 22 by pins 74.

The extremities of the transverse rod 58 vcarry a pair of brake shoes 76which are engageable with therespective peripheries of the wheels 16.Normally, though, the coil springs act in a direction to bias the shoes.76 away from the wheels 16.

' However, when the user of the embodiment wishes to apply the'brakes,he merely spreads apart the arms 21 in scissors-like fashion, therebytensioning the cable 48 and consequently pulling the transverse rod 58nearer the axle 14. Such movement obviously brings the brake shoes 76against the wheels 16, the springs 66 yielding sufiiciently to permitthis. It will be apparent that the operator can apply whatever force isnecessary to effect the braking action, for he has a considerable amountof leverage available owing to the articulative manner in which the arms21 and the lever elements 38 are mounted.

For the purpose of describing and claiming this invention the arms 21and the grips 28 will collectively be considered to constitute handlemeans, since it is through the agency of these elements that the carrier10 is handled and controlled. The telescoping connection of the armsections 22, 26 of course permit the sections 26 to be disengaged byremoving the pins 30, the cable 48 readily flexing so as to allow thesections 26 and lever arms 38 to be brought into substantial parallelismwith the frame members 12. In this way the carrier 10 can easily bestowed in an automobile trunk or other compartment until needed.Further, it will be appreciated that the braces 70 are relatively thinin a transverse direction, thereby permitting easy pivoting of the armsections 22 about the pins 24, the braces readily flexing when this isdone so that the cable 48 will be pulled to apply the brakes.

Considering now the embodiment of Figure 2 which has been assigned thereference numeral 80, it can be seen that there is a basic similaritybetween this modification and the earlier described embodiment 10. Forthis reason, the embodiment 80 has been only fragmentarily pictured,sufficient identity of parts and reference numerals where such identityexists serving to orient the reader.

While in the embodiment the handle means comprised of the arms 21 weremade separable through the employment of the arm sections 22 and 26, inthe instant embodiment 80, however, unitary arms 82 are utilized. Thesearms 82 are generally tubular in the region designated by the numeral 84but are pressed into a substantially fiat state in the region denoted bythe numeral 86. Owing to the fact that the flat regions 86 reside invertical planes, the arms 82 are easily flexed to tension the cable 48.

Because the arms 82 are detachably connected to the side frame members12 by reason of wing nuts 88, it will be appreciated that removal ofthese nuts 88 will permit virtually complete collapse of the carrier 80.

In use, the carrier 80 is operated in an identical way to the carrier10. Thus, the spreading of the arms 82 is responsible for tensioning thecable 48 to apply the brakes 7-6. Of course the thinness of the regions86 permit ready flexing in a horizontal direction, yet resist deflection because of their greater vertical height in an up and downdirection. Proper dimensioning of the regions 86 obviate the need forthe braces 70 mentioned in the earlier described embodiment 10.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

What is claimed:

1. An outboard motor carrier comprising a pair of side frame members, anaxle element extending between the lower ends of said frame members, apair of wheels mounted on said axle element for supporting said framemembers, a cross member extending between an upper section of said framemembers to which an outboard motor is clamped during transportationthereof, a rocker arm pivotally connected to each frame member at alocus spaced from said wheels, a brake shoe attached to the free end ofeach rocker arm, a transverse rod element extending between the freeends of said rocker arms so as to cause said brake shoes to move inunison, a cable having one end connected to said transverse rod, a firstpulley mounted on said axle element intermediate said wheels, -a secondpulley mounted for rotation above said first pulley, handle meansincluding a pair of arms capable of being laterally deflected, saidhandle arms being connected to said frame members adjacent the ends ofsaid cross member and extending in a generally normal direction awayfrom said frame members by which a person can maneuver the carrier, andcable tensioning means supported by said handle means including'a pairof lever elements having adjacent ends connected to the other cable endand having opposite ends connected to said handle arms near the freeends thereof for urging said brake shoes against said wheels, said cablebeing entrained over said first and second pulleys.

' 2. An outboard motor carrier in accordance with claim 1 includingspring means connected to one of said arms for normally retracting saidbrake shoes, operation of said cable tensioning means overcoming saidspring means.

3. An outboard motor carrier in accordance with claim 1 in which saidhandle arms are pivotally attached to said side frame members.

4. An outboard motor carrier in accordance with claim 1 in which saidhandle arms are fixedly attached to said side frame members but includerelatively thin regions so as to permit lateral flexing thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,701,188 1 Miller Feb. 5, 1929 1,810,428 Lazzeri June 16, 19312,169,781 Abresch Aug. 15, 1939 2,381,642 Brown Aug. 7, 1945 2,502,007Hawkins Mar. 28, 1950 r 2,658,703 Brink Nov. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS992,490 France July 11, 1951

